Some law practitioners have taken strong exception to the agreement between the ruling alliance and the Maoists to issue citizenship to persons living in Nepal before April 13 1990.

They voiced the concern over the agreement during an interaction organized by the parliamentary State Affairs Committee on Sunday to solicit suggestions on the citizenship bill tabled in the parliament.

Admitting that the citizenship problem was a serious challenge, they, nevertheless, urged the government not to take a too liberal stance on the issue.

“Why has the government proposed such a provision to provide naturalised citizenship to create a burden for the country? It will result in population growth,” said Shambhu Thapa, president of the Nepal Bar Association.

Former president of the NBA Harihar Dahal said that the citizenship problem of the Madheshis should be resolved but non-Nepalese should not be issued citizenship certificates. He also added that 1990 should be made the cut-off year to solve the problem.

Advocate Kamal Naryan Das suggested that the date of promulgation of the new Citizenship Act can be recognised as the cut-off date.

Advocate Prakash Osti claimed that the idea of providing citizenship by birth and with the recommendation of three people cannot solve the problem.

Speaker Subas Nembang said the House was doing serious homework to solve the citizenship problem before the constituent assembly elections. “This is the problem of the entire nation. This should be resolved before the CA polls,” Nembang added.

Home Minister Krishna Prasad Situala said the seven-party alliance and the Maoists have agreed to solve the citizenship problem. He said the Home Ministry will send teams to the districts to provide citizenship certificates immediately after the Bill is passed.

UML General Secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal said though the conditions for citizenship should be relaxed to a certain extent, the citizenship must be issued on the basis of lineage and not on the basis of birth.

He also stressed on very stern legal provisions against the person recommending citizenship to non-bonafide person.

Vice-president of Nepali Congress Sushil Koirala said the citizenship problem should be resolved before the constituent assembly elections through political consensus.

Chairman of Rastriya Prajatantra Party Pashupati Shumsher Rana urged the government to make provision to deliver citizenship to physically challenged, poor and landless citizens on their doorsteps.